From our early experience in supplying the first Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) solutions to the U.S. Army and Air Force, to our continuing innovations in support of current and future communications missions for commercial organizations, LGS Innovations is leading the way in the transformation of communication networks.

The use of on-demand video, multimedia web applications, and large-scale file sharing is increasingly important to successful government and business operations. These functions demand high bandwidth, always-on reliability, rapid deployment, high quality of service, and the efficient use of available resources.

In the past, services were often implemented on separate, dedicated platforms (such as IP or Ethernet) and relied on underlying optical network technology for transport. However, recent advances in optical network technology now allow for a more tightly coupled network that supports a variety of services, by adding capacity that can scale to accommodate current and future applications and by providing the tools to manage networks remotely with flexibility and fewer requirements for physical, on-site intervention.

Used to efficiently transport larger amounts of data across a network, current optical network technology provides the needed data transmission speed, availability, and performance at a lower cost. Optical network technology solutions also help transition from a patchwork of legacy networks to an integrated, cost-effective framework that helps to quickly disseminate information.

Optical network technology is widely considered to be the transport medium of choice for mission-critical networks due to its high reliability and transmission capacity, as well as reduced complexity and costs. Optical network technology can transform communications systems from individual network “silos” that support discrete users and applications to multi-application, multi-user networks that enable instantaneous access to vital information across the world. These solutions enable the scaling of IP backbone infrastructures and respond to huge communications traffic demands without incurring the extra costs associated with expensive routing capacity upgrades.

LGS Innovations Optical Leadership

LGS Innovations offers widely deployed, proven solutions that deliver bandwidth flexibility, service reach, and reliability. Our optical solutions are optimized for high-reliability, rapid provisioning, and total service excellence, and we offer a comprehensive range of intelligent, service-aware products that address diversified network transformation scenarios in core/backbone and metro/edge networks.

LGS participated in the design, deployment, and system testing of an installation of the information Optical Transport Network (OTN) infrastructure in Europe that links the forward-deployed soldiers to worldwide Command and Control (C2) and information systems. Over the lifespan of the project, extending from February 2006 to February 2011, work was completed at twenty locations, including at fifteen high priority U.S. Army communications centers.

The project was managed by the U.S. Army’s Product Manager for Defense Communications Systems Europe (PM DCS-E), located at Funari Barracks in Mannheim, Germany. PM DCS-E is a subordinate organization to PM Network Service Center (PM NSC) and Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS).

“We are always working to find new, better, and more effective ways to give the warfighter the best capabilities and solutions possible,” said LTC Joseph Dupont. “As we continue to provide ‘Everything Over IP’ in Europe, we needed a more robust network capable of supporting real time services and unified capabilities such as Voice over IP, IP video streaming and conferencing. DWDM provides that robust network.”

The LGS Innovations network integration team worked closely with the U.S. Army program manager to design and implement the middleware portion of the transport network, which provides Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) services. The middleware system consists of MPLS/IP routers and encryption devices that connect I3MP, Army Communities of Interests (COINs), and legacy networks to the DWDM-OTN network. The middleware network allows the Army to consolidate or eliminate legacy systems in the region and continues the transformation from a TDM to IP network-centric architecture.

LGS Innovations’ responsibilities also included designing and implementing a state-of-the-art, secured out-of-band (OOB) management system that provides an alternate capability to securely configure all OTN network elements, troubleshoot, and resolve network problems.

“This project demonstrated our ability to deliver full-scale communications solutions that included both products and multi-vendor network integration services to meet our customers’ needs,” said Kevin Kelly, CEO of LGS Innovations. “We worked in lock step with our customers throughout every phase of the project to ensure the network not only meets, but exceeds their expectations.”